"Go..." a voice suddenly cut through the crimson mist. Before Ye Jingyu could fully register what was happening, his hand was seized, and he was pulled, sprinting fiercely in one direction...

"The Xue Family! Why would you wade into this mess?" By the time the cloud of blood mist dissipated, Ye Jingyu was nowhere to be seen. Feng Xing was incandescent with rage, roaring curses, though it was clear no one was paying him any heed.

"Heavenly Wind Squad..." Feng Xing bellowed into the void.

In an instant, forty men materialized out of thin air, all kneeling before Feng Xing in unison...

"Greetings, Captain!"

"Divide into groups of four—four groups total—and sweep this entire Ancient Garrison City. The entire city is sealed by our 'Wind-Snaring Shadow-Catching Formation'; he won't escape!" Feng Xing sneered coldly.

This task, which Feng Yan had assigned him, had seemed utterly trivial at first. But now? Not only was he grievously injured, but that brat Ye Jingyu had actually slipped away! This was nothing short of a public slap in his face.

Especially that streak of bloody light at the end—it left a deeply unsettling feeling. The Xue Family, always shrouded in mystery and rarely showing themselves, why were they here?

Had the news of his presence on the Ancient Splendor Continent leaked? But according to the Patriarch, only that demon, the Sha Shen from the Fang Family, should know. He was still with the Patriarch now; there was absolutely no way the information could have been leaked. What in the world was happening?

As confusion churned in his mind, the few women who had originally been pursuing Ye Jingyu rushed over. Seeing the remaining women accompanying him, a fiery heat surged through Feng Xing’s blood. He dismissed the troubling questions, roughly pulling the five women down onto the grass below, tearing their clothes open, and beginning to thrust violently in broad daylight...

He needed to vent, to unleash the inferno burning in his heart...

Meanwhile, Ye Jingyu had been dragged by that shadowy figure into an unremarkable common dwelling. He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. The fight with Feng Xing, though seemingly brief, had consumed nearly every ounce of his mental and physical reserves.

"Here, take this Restoration Pill. It's enough to restore thirty percent of your strength!" The figure pulled a golden elixir from within his robes and handed it to Ye Jingyu...

Only then did Ye Jingyu get a clear look at his rescuer: a lean man, gaunt in appearance, with a pale complexion. He was neither handsome nor ugly, but perhaps too slight, resembling a corpse—the kind of helpless zombie utterly lacking in fighting prowess...

"Thank you..." Ye Jingyu accepted without hesitation, nor did he worry about poison. There was no toxin in this world capable of felling him.

Swallowing the golden pill in one gulp, he immediately felt it transform into a warm current, flooding his body. His Overlord Vital Force, already depleted to the dregs, began to recover rapidly. However, it didn't restore thirty percent as the man claimed; it seemed closer to ten percent at best.

But under the influence of this energy, his injuries also began to mend at an astonishing rate. In the blink of an eye, he was restored as if untouched. Had it not been for the tattered remains of his clothing serving as evidence of the recent battle, he might have thought it all a delusion.

Seeing the swift healing of Ye Jingyu’s wounds, a flicker of surprise crossed the face of the man in the blood-colored robe, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"I thank you sincerely for saving my life, Brother. May I ask your esteemed name..." Having regained a sliver of strength, Ye Jingyu clasped his hands toward the man.

"My name is Xue Ming. I am a friend of Master Fang; he arranged for me to meet and escort you!" the man in the blood robe stated calmly.

"Hmm?" Ye Jingyu paused, then instantly understood. It seemed his judgment hadn't been wrong; Fang Zhuguo truly was a trustworthy person. He must have anticipated that Ye Jingyu might not agree to Feng Yan's demands and that Feng Yan would certainly send assassins. Fang Zhuguo had arranged for an escort in advance.

It made sense. While Feng Yan and Fang Zhuguo maintained a collaboration, even plotting together, Feng Yan could never risk completely offending the Fang Family by openly supporting Fang Zhuguo—an illegitimate son—in seizing the Patriarchal position.

In fact, no major family would risk such a thing. Although the Fang Family had suffered devastating losses this time, with nearly all their top experts from the Ninth Heaven killed, their Patriarch, Fang Zhentian, was still alive. With a Venerable-level expert like him anchoring the family, the Fang Family remained one of the Nine Great Families.

No family would openly oppose Fang Zhentian for the sake of a figure without influence.

Of course, if Fang Zhuguo could advance to the Venerable Realm, that would be an entirely different matter. Until then, only Ye Jingyu could assist him without restraint in eliminating Fang Family rivals.

"Fang Zhuguo asked me to convey his apologies regarding this matter. All of his plans over these years have had Feng Yan interfering from behind the scenes. He still cannot break free from Feng Yan's control, and this incident was also arranged by Feng Yan. He was powerless to intervene himself," Xue Ming explained faintly upon noticing the trace of astonishment on Ye Jingyu’s face. His voice was dry, and his speech slightly hesitant, as if he rarely spoke.

"I understand. But, Brother Xue, what is your relationship with Fang Zhuguo..." Ye Jingyu nodded. If Fang Zhuguo truly intended to kill him, he wouldn't have sent Xue Ming to rescue him; moreover, the Restoration Pill he offered was indeed an extreme-grade spiritual medicine.

"I am a member of the Xue Family, sharing the same background as him!" Xue Ming offered only this, and Ye Jingyu understood everything immediately: two people with identical backgrounds, perhaps joined by other members of great families sharing similar origins, striving together for common ideals and goals.

"Rest here for a few days. They won't find you here. Once the heat dies down, we will make further plans..." Seeing the understanding dawn in Ye Jingyu's expression, Xue Ming spoke softly.

"Very well!" Ye Jingyu nodded. His purpose here was to help Fang Zhuguo seize control of the Fang Family—how could he help him slay his own brothers?

"Hehehe... Brother Xue Ming, who is the hero you've brought to me this time?" Just then, a seductive female voice echoed from within the room, followed by the appearance of an exquisitely beautiful woman in a sheer red skirt, her chest partially revealed, stepping out with a playful sway...